AP Chemistry

AP Chemistry

Have you ever wondered if a diamond really is forever? How batteries create electricity from chemical reactions? Or how we know that atoms exist when they’re too small to be seen? In AP Chemistry, you’ll learn to examine the atomic and molecular interactions that result in all the varied materials and changes that you observe daily, as well as how to properly test and analyze errors in an experiment.

College Board

Unit 1 Atomic Structure and Properties

You’ll learn about the composition of atoms and ways scientists measure and categorize these building blocks of matter.

Moles and molar mass
Mass spectra of elements
Elemental composition of pure substances
Composition of mixtures
Atomic structure and electron configuration
Photoelectron spectroscopy
Periodic trends
Valence electrons and ionic compounds

Unit 2 Compound Structure and Properties

You’ll discover the range of chemical bonds and how their structure can affect the properties of the molecules created.

Types of chemical bonds
Intramolecular force and potential energy
Structure of ionic solids
Structure of metals and alloys
Lewis diagrams
Resonance and formal charge
VSEPR and hybridization

Unit 3 Properties of Substances and Mixtures

You’ll explore how atoms come together to create solids, liquids, and gases, and how forces between particles govern the properties of everything around you.

Intermolecular forces
Solids, liquids, and gases
Kinetic molecular theory
Solutions and mixtures
Properties of photons
Spectroscopy

Unit 4 Chemical Reactions

You’ll learn how to differentiate physical and chemical processes, and how to measure and express chemical reactions via chemical equations.

Introduction for reactions
Net ionic equations
Representations of reactions
Physical and chemical changes
Stoichiometry
Types of chemical reactions

Unit 5 Kinetics

You’ll explore various methods to observe the changes that occur during a chemical reaction, the factors that influence reaction rate, and how it relates to a series of elementary reactions.

Reaction rate
Introduction to rate law
Elementary reactions
Collision model
Introduction to reaction mechanisms
Multistep reaction energy profile
Catalysis

Unit 6 Thermochemistry

You’ll learn about energy changes in chemical reactions and how a transfer of energy can change a substance’s physical qualities.

Endothermic and exothermic processes
Heat transfer and thermal equilibrium
Heat capacity and calorimetry
Energy of phase changes
Introduction to enthalpy of reaction
Enthalpy of formation
Hess’s law

Unit 7 Equilibrium

You’ll chart how chemical reactions change over time, what causes substances to reach equilibrium, and how systems react when that equilibrium is disturbed.

Introduction to equilibrium
Calculating the equilibrium constant
Calculating equilibrium concentrations
Introduction to Le Châtelier’s principle
Introduction to solubility equilibria

Unit 8 Acids and Bases

You’ll learn more about pH, the qualities and properties of acids and bases, and how they interact in chemical reactions.

Introduction to acids and bases
pH and pOH of strong acids and bases
Acid-base reactions and buffers
Molecular structure of acids and bases
pH and pKa
Properties of buffers
pH and solubility

Unit 9 Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry

You’ll be introduced to the concept of “thermodynamic favorability” for reactions, meaning how likely they are to occur given energy changes and environmental factors, and how chemical reactions can be used to generate electricity.

Introduction to entropy
Gibbs free energy and thermodynamic favorability
Thermodynamic and kinetic control
Free energy and equilibrium
Free energy of dissolution
Galvanic (voltaic) and electrolytic cells
Electrolysis and Faraday’s laws